All you need is Pi
by Natalie Elizabeth
Summary: "Whatever my feelings are I respect that Dad chose you and I chose Pi. I know he is different. So different from the image I had in my head about what the perfect boyfriend would be. Yet there is something so intriguing about him." Beckett smiled. "I know what you mean." * When Beckett decides to go and see Alexis the two finally have a heart to heart about men and life!
1. Chapter 1

Big thank you to Annem57 for making my worker even better.

Mya, for Skypeing with me and pretty much sitting and listening because I don't let you get a word in.

And My Aussie Castle Family, for always having my back.

All you need is Pi

By

Natalie Elizabeth

Alexis heard a knock at the door and groaned. She knew her father was a glutton for punishment, but was he really coming back for round two? If he had returned with her favourite gourmet ice-cream, she was going to find it hard to resist him. Maybe she could just grab the tub and shut the door on him. Accepting the ice-cream wouldn't mean she had forgiven him for his bad behaviour. No. It would simply mean that her favourite ice cream was expensive. Who knew? It's not that she couldn't afford to indulge, she could. Albeit not on a regular basis, but the fact was there were more important things to spend money on. Or not spend money. She wanted to prove that she could do this on her own, both to her father and to herself. So no, she wouldn't accept the ice-cream, but she would at least listen to him again. Unlike her father, she would give him the benefit of the doubt. Putting an unamused look on her face, Alexis opened the door.

"Detective Beckett."

The woman in front of her smiled. "Alexis. Hi. Sorry for just stopping in like this. I wasn't planning to, but it was on my way and I wanted to bring you a housewarming gift."

Alexis looked down at the fire extinguisher with a pink bow on it.

"Did Dad put you up to this?"

Beckett frowned. "Umm. No."

Alexis took a step forward and looked outside her apartment door for any signs of her father.

"There isn't a listening device hidden in the present is there? You're not wearing a wire?"

Beckett laughed. "Umm, no. Why?"

Alexis shrugged. "Oh, I just figured it's not like Dad to back down. I thought maybe he sent you here to do recon or something. I didn't let him in before, so now I'm wondering if his plan was to get inside and plant a bug."

Beckett frowned. "He was here tonight?"

Alexis nodded. "Yeah. He came to apologize, and even says he accepts Pi as part of my life. I know he doesn't, though. He just said it to appease me. I was a kid once, too. I know when an 'I'm sorry' is forced. Then, he tried to take me out for ice-cream as if that will make it all better."

Beckett shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I can't believe he came here. He said he was going to go straight home and eat something healthy. I guess his stomach was no longer sore after indulging in a whole bag of candy he found tucked under the seat in the squad car."

Alexis eyes narrowed. "He really didn't send you here?"

Beckett shook her head. "No. I just wanted to give you your gift," Beckett then extended the gift to Alexis.

Alexis took the gift and looked at it warily. "Grams already got us a housewarming gift. It was a plant. The card said it was from the three of you, but I got the feeling it was just from her."

Beckett shrugged. "No, it was. Well, at least from your Gram and I. You know the way your father has been acting lately. I just wanted to give you a gift, too. I'm sorry I couldn't be here for the dinner but work came up. I still feel like I'm on probation or something, and I don't want to rock the boat just yet. I promise if you ever invite your father and I back again, I'll do my best to be here."

Alexis bit her lip and looked down at the present. A fire extinguisher. Well, they didn't have one, and it really was a nice gesture.

"Do you want to come in?"

Beckett smiled. "Only if you're sure I'm not interrupting. I hate it when people turn up to my place unannounced."

Alexis took a step back and allowed the detective to enter. "And yet you're still marrying my dad."

Beckett laughed as she entered the apartment. "Yes, I am."

Alexis watched as Kate looked over her apartment. Not frowning or turning up her nose, just looking. Her dad wanted to marry this woman and she had simply accepted it. She accepted it because Kate made her dad happy. The truth was he could have done so much worse and had.

Kate had turned up unannounced, but apologised for that. She had brought a gift as a way of apologising for not being at an informal dinner. So far Kate had two points in her favour whereas her father was minus 100.

"Nice place," Kate told her.

Alexis smiled. Kate was actually telling the truth. "Dad wasn't impressed with it."

Beckett nodded as she turned and looked around. "Well ,that might have something to do with telling your father where you got some of these items."

Alexis shrugged. "Well, the truth hurts sometimes."

Beckett nodded while still looking around. "Yes, the truth hurts, but so does lying."

"What do you mean?"

Beckett scanned the apartment once more before looking at Alexis. "I have no doubt that you got some of these things because people were throwing them away. I also know you got the idea for the door table out of a magazine. The same magazine that lamp was in for $100."

Alexis froze.

"Where did you get the money for the lamp, Alexis? Not to mention the rug and a few other items."

Alexis bit her lip and looked down. "How did you know?"

Beckett took a few steps closer to the guilty looking teen. "Well, I was running late one morning. I slipped on a magazine on the floor next to couch Pi was using as a bed. I remember seeing the lamp and was thinking it would make a nice replacement for the one your father broke when he was trying too... well you don't need to know what he was trying to do."

Alexis slammed her eyes shut and nodded.

"So where did you get the money from?" Beckett asked again.

Alexis sighed and opened her eyes. "Grams. But it was only a loan," she added hastily. "I just thought if we had the place looking really nice then Dad couldn't judge."

Beckett laughed. "Alexis, there isn't enough money in the world to make this place look nice enough for your dad not to judge. He is a dad: it's what they do."

Alexis shrugged. "I didn't know what else to do."

Beckett sat on the couch and Alexis followed her. "Well, you didn't need to mention that you got some of this stuff from the street."

Alexis nodded. "I know, but he was already judging before he got in, and I couldn't help myself. I'm proud of what I have created here."

"And you should be. It feels like a home in here, a real home. My apartment was decked out with some expensive things, yet it never felt like home."

Alexis sighed. "Why can't Dad see that?"

Beckett ran a hand through her hair. "Because you're his baby girl."

Alexis sat up straight. "I'm an adult."

Beckett nodded. "Yes, you're an adult, but you will always be his child. Just as the rest of the world thinks your Dad is an adult ,but we all know he's a child."

Alexis laughed. That made three points to Kate.

"Alexis, I don't want to take sides here, but I want you to know I've been doing my best to control your father."

Alexis frowned. "Why? Won't that get you on Dad's bad side?"

"Yeah it has, a few times. I know what it's like to be a teenager and have your dad not understand. My dad was exactly the same. The thing is, you need to understand where he is coming from."

"Why he doesn't see where I am coming from?"

Beckett nodded. "Exactly, and I have been working on that, but one of you needs to be the bigger person here. I wasn't joking when I said your dad was a child, although that is a bit of an understatement. At times, he's a spoiled brat who doesn't like to share and always gets what he wants. Even though there have been a parade of stepfathers, for most of his life he's had his mother all to himself. Then he had you, and again for most of the time it has been you and him. Now, suddenly some guy he doesn't know comes into your life, and he has to share you."

Alexis sat back on the couch and frowned. She never really saw it that way. It had been the two of them for so long. Even when Gram had moved in, their relationship hadn't changed. It had been the same with Gina, too. They were married, but Gina always seemed to be on the sidelines.

"But Dad hasn't even made the effort to get to know Pi."

Beckett shook her head. "No, he hasn't, and he probably isn't going to be all that eager to, either. The truth is no one is ever going to be good enough for his baby girl."

Alexis crossed her arms. "But your dad likes my dad."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Well, yes. He does now."

Alexis frowned. "He didn't like him before?"

Beckett shook her head. "No, what I mean is if I had turned up on my father's doorstep with Rick ten years ago, my Dad probably would have reached for his shot gun."

Alexis smiled. "I am so thankful you put a stop to Dad getting a gun at home."

"And that was my main reason. I knew he would try to use it to scare beaus away. I wasn't joking about my dad and the shot gun, either. He really did point it at one of my boyfriends. The fact is, it takes parents a long time to realise that their kids are grown up and have their own lives. It's hard for them to accept, but eventually they do. Well, hopefully they do. Most still try and meddle in their kids' lives. Apparently that's a prerequisite of parents. I'm not quite sure when it was that my dad switched from him not wanting me to date to him asking me why I wasn't out dating."

Alexis bit her lip and smiled. "Really, your dad was asking that?"

Beckett nodded. "Oh, yeah. I think the main reason my dad likes Rick is simply because Rick has a job and only a small criminal record."

This time Alexis couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Does Dad know this?"

Beckett shook her head. "No, he thinks it's because he's charming."

Alexis rolled her eyes at that. Her dad wasn't being very charming at the moment. She shrugged her shoulders. "It's not fair. It's not like I've been a problem child or anything. He was the one who got into trouble in my teenage years."

Beckett shook her head. "Alexis, just because you have been the perfect child doesn't give you the right to go off and be wild, and expect your father not to say anything."

Alexis scoffed. "Please, I'm not perfect."

Beckett shrugged. "Your father thinks you are. You should hear they way he goes on about you at the precinct. He even insulted my intelligence once when Stanford rejected you the first time."

"How do you mean?"

"When Stanford rejected you, he was so angry and shocked."

Alexis frowned. That didn't make any sense. "But Dad didn't want me to go to Stanford."

"Maybe not, but he was mortified that they didn't see how amazing you are. I told him it was a hard school to get into and he fired back with 'Well you got in.'"

Alexis was shocked. Detective Beckett was a smart woman. She had to be in order to do her job. The fact that her father thought she was smarter was a surprise. Sure parents liked to brag about their daughters, but not to the extent of putting down a friend.

" I understood he was just upset, but it shows how much he thinks of you."

Alexis sighed. She never doubted that her father cared for her. Some of her friends had parents who were divorced. Most lived with the mother and barely saw their father. Those few who did live with their father were mainly raised by nannies. Not her, though. She may not have had the most traditional of upbringings, but it had always been filled with love.

"So what do you think I should do?" Alexis asked wearily, unsure on whether or not she wanted to know the answer

Beckett bit her lip. "Not be so hard on him."

"But,"

Beckett held her hand up to halt her. "I know he is being a bit of a jerk at the moment, but bear with him. I'm not saying to put up with his behaviour: I'm just saying to try and understand where he's coming from. He feels like he is being abandoned."

Alexis scoffed. "He's feeling abandoned? What about me? He proposes to you and doesn't tell me, then he makes the decision to move to DC without telling me either. If anyone should feel abandoned, it's me. "

Beckett's eyes darkened. "What? He didn't tell you?"

"Grams told me he proposed while I was away."

Beckett balked. "He said he was going to call you."

Alexis shrugged trying to hold back tears. "Yeah well, I guess he forgot."

Beckett rubbed a hand over her face. "I'm sorry, Alexis. I didn't know."

"Hey, it's no big deal. I was like 2000 miles away."

"It is a big deal. Your father made a big life decision that affects you. I'm so sorry, Alexis."

Alexis shrugged. "It's not your fault. Actually, it's how I got to met Pi. I was shocked and a little bit annoyed, and he made a joke to make me smile. That's what I like about Pi. He makes me smile and he makes me happy. Why can't Dad see that? I was annoyed at first that Dad didn't tell me about the two of you, but you make Dad happy. Pi made me realise that. He got me to talk over your relationship, and helped me see you were good for Dad. I'm glad the two of you are getting married."

Beckett bit her lip and then smiled. "Thanks, Alexis. It means a lot to hear you say that. We've never really talked about how you feel about our relationship."

"Whatever my feelings are, I respect that Dad chose you, and I choose Pi. I know he's different: so different from the image I had in my head about what the perfect boyfriend would be. Yet, there is something so intriguing about him. I've lived a sheltered life, and then I was kidnapped. I had a lot of time to think. Life's short, you should know that. I'm looking at the world so differently because of Pi. I don't know if Pi and I will be together in six months or six years. I'm not picking out the colour for my bridesmaids' dresses or anything. Pi makes me feel free, and that's what I need in my life right now."

Beckett smiled. "I know what you mean."

Alexis narrowed her eyes. "You do?"

Kate nodded. "Oh yeah. Do you honestly think your father is the image I had of a dream husband?"

"Well yeah. Most women would jump at the chance to marry him. He is rich and handsome."

"And extremely possessive when it comes to people he loves."

Alexis nodded. "That's both a good and a bad thing. Right now, it's bad."

"Alexis, did you ever have those cardboard doll things? You know, they came in a book, and you pressed them out of the pages. There was usually a man and a woman, sometimes a kid and an animal too. The humans were usually in their underwear, and then you pressed out different clothes and used the tabs to fold over the body."

Alexis nodded. "Oh yeah, those things were cool. You could make them wear a ball gown or a tutu."

"Well, the men in my life before your dad were kind of like that. The men were the same, the cardboard clothes just changed slightly. There was a lawyer and a cop. FBI and a doctor. Then your dad came along, and flipped my world upside down. Suddenly in my cardboard world there was this wannabe action figure. I started seeing the world differently, and at first I didn't like it. I was living in my own little box and I didn't want to come out of it. I resisted your father; I commend you for taking a chance with Pi."

"Really."

Beckett nodded. "You're daring to live a life other than what's expected of you. I know it's not easy, and there will be times when you will be thinking what am I doing? Whether you have made the right decision or the wrong one, you will always be glad that it was your decision to make. No one forced you."

Alexis smiled. Kate really did know what she was going through. Alexis remembered her father telling her how Kate had bucked convention, and became a cop instead of being a lawyer. At face value, based on their background and the fact that one was a cop and the other was a writer, probably her father and Kate weren't a conventional couple. Alexis knew that what you see isn't what you get however. Anyone could plainly see that Kate Beckett and Richard Castle were a match, once they got to know them. Sure, they were different in a lot of ways, but there were also similarities too.

Alexis had no delusion about Kate being an actual mother to her. However after this talk, Alexis realised she had a comrade in Kate. Someone who understood that her dad wasn't perfect.

Beckett stood up. "Anyway, I have taken up a lot of your time already. I better go and see your father. Have a few words with him."

Alexis smiled as she escorted Kate out.

"Thank you for coming Kate. It was nice it talk to someone who understands."

Kate smiled. "Yeah, me too. Alexis, I want you to know I'm not going to try and force a relationship with you. I know technically I'm going to be your step mother and it might be easier to explain to people who I am that way. All technicalities aside, I am whatever you want me to be. You have a mother and friends already, so I understand you don't need more of those."

Alexis smiled. She knew exactly what Kate was asking. She wanted to have a place in her life, but she wasn't sure what that place was.

"Can you just be Kate?"

Kate laughed. "And who exactly is that?"

Alexis shrugged. " She is so many good things. She is the person who puts up with my dad's antics, but loves him despite that. Kate who turns up to my grandmother's plays' knowing full well how outlandish they will be. The person who risked her job by allowing my father to torture a suspect when I was taken."

Beckett bit her lip. "I didn't know you knew that?"

Alexis nodded. "Yeah, Dad told me. We talked a lot that night waiting for our flight home."

Beckett shrugged. "It was you."

Alexis nodded. "I know. You cared for me when I didn't exactly give you any reason to. That's Kate. She cares for me and my grandmother as if we were blood. She loves my father. She is someone who is sometimes a mother to me and other times a friend. At least that's what I want her to be."

Kate laughed. "Well, I'm not sure exactly how to be a mother but I'll do my best."

"You're already doing it by being here, Kate. That's all I ask. You're here when I need you."

Kate winced. "I'm sorry again that I wasn't here for your housewarming."

"You're here now."

"Okay. I still need to go home and rake your father over hot coals."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Well, if you take your own advice you need to go easy on him."

Kate frowned.

"He was happy and in love Kate. You were foremost in his mind. That's a good thing." Alexis told her.

Kate stood there awkwardly. She opened her arms hesitantly before taking a step towards Alexis. Alexis joined her half way and they hugged.

"Thank you, Alexis. If you ever need to talk, if you want to keep it just between us, that's okay too. I'll only tell your father if you start doing drugs or reading Patterson."

Alexis laughed as she withdrew from the hug.

"Okay, Kate. Deal."


	2. Chapter 2

Beckett stormed into the loft. She had the whole ride home to think about what her fiancée had done to his daughter. Beckett was still reeling that he didn't tell Alexis about the engagement. He had told her he was going to call Alexis and tell her the good news. Kate had assumed he meant that she had said yes. By the sounds of it, he hadn't even told her he was proposing. To think he acted all huffy because Alexis never told him she was thinking of moving in with Pi until they had found a place.

Pot. Kettle. Castle.

Then he had gone and seen Alexis again that night. She had told him to wait, to give Alexis some breathing time. But no, Castle had to go charging in like he was a knight and he had to save Alexis from the evil dragon, Pi.

Pi wasn't that bad. Compared to some of the men she had dated, he was a prince. Yes, he was flamboyant - he was a lot like Martha, actually. The fruit thing concerned her a little, but he was young. People might not change who they really are on the inside, but they do evolve. Trying new things was part of the evolution process. Beckett looked around the loft trying to spot the man who had obviously not evolved since he was a cave man. Once she spotted him, she levelled a glare at him.

"Richard Castle, you are in so much trouble!"

Castle stood at the kitchen counter a spoon in his hand. "Kate, I really needed the ice-cream," he told her as he placed his spoon back in the tub.

"Oh, you're going to need ice when I'm done with you," she told him as she stalked over to the counter.

Castle wiped the evidence of his indulgence off of his face. "Just what exactly did I do now?"

"It's what you didn't do," she told him angrily as she slammed her hand down on the counter.

"I picked my underwear up off of the floor this morning."

"I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about your daughter. You didn't tell her we were engaged."

"Did she call you trying to get you on her side?"

Beckett threw up her hands. "Sides. What are you, five?"

"Kate, you need to hear my side of the story. Okay, she's living in sq..."

"No, you need to back off the papa bear act or you are going to lose your daughter."

Castle rounded the counter. "Hey, hold on a minute. She's my daughter; I'm trying to do what's best for her."

"By pushing her away?"

"I'm not pushing her away: she's the one who is living with that guy."

Beckett crossed her arms over her chest. "Pi. His name is Pi."

"I don't care what his name is, he's not right for her."

"Why, because you say so? Alright, tell me Rick. Who is right for your daughter?"

Castle opened his mouth to respond and then closed it. Beckett raised her brow at him. Ha, he couldn't answer could he?

"Umm, well, I don't know many teenage boys."

"Adult, Castle. Your daughter is almost an adult. You might not know anyone her age, but would you be willing to get to know anyone? Probably not. If Ryan were Alexis' age, would you let him date her? Or what about Esposito or LT?

"Well, Espo is a player and..."

"No one will ever be good enough for your daughter, Castle. Admit it."

Castle shook his head and looked away from her. "You don't understand, you're not a parent. She's my little girl, I need to protect her."

"I understand fine, Castle. I've been a young girl."

"Yeah, and look at what you got up to."

Beckett took a step back. "Excuse me?"

"You told me about your wild days. I don't want my daughter to be like that."

Beckett shook her head. "Oh, no no no, you did not just say that. Yes I rebelled, against my over protective father. Maybe if he let the reins go a bit, I wouldn't have. So yes, I did do some dumb things, but I turned out alright. Or is something that's good enough for your fiancée isn't good enough for your daughter?"

"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying you and Alexis are different. Things are different nowadays. You're a cop Kate, you see what happens."

Beckett nodded. "Yeah, I see how life can be gone in an instant. How one minute the one you love is there, and the next they're gone. How you should live life without regrets. You taught me that, Castle. I really started to live because of you. I started to love again because of you."

Castle took a step towards her and tried to rub her arm, but she backed away.

"Castle, it took me years to realise that. Years of heartache and pain. Your daughter is seeing that now, Castle. She's smart, but she's also curious. The world is a big place, and she wants to see all the angles of it. Pi is helping her see a world she didn't know existed. He makes her happy, Castle."

"What Pi is showing her is the seedy dirty side of the world."

Beckett walked away. Talking to him was like talking to a brick wall. "Well, maybe it's time your daughter started living a real life instead of the fantasy one you have created around her. You need to back off."

"How dare you," Castle accused Beckett. . "How dare you tell me I've raised my daughter wrong? She's my world, and I am not going to lose her because of some hippie."

"You're losing her because..."

"Don't tell me how to raise my daughter. She's my daughter, and she's none of your business, so stay out of it."

Beckett blinked at him. Did he just tell her to stay out of his business? Castle, the king of butting in when he should stay out?

"She's someone you love, so that makes her my business."

Beckett started stalking towards the door. She had to get away. He was angry and acting like a grade A first class ass. Beckett had told Alexis to understand where he was coming from. It was one thing to understand, it was another to put up with the garbage he was putting out. She reached for the door handle but refrained from opening it. If Castle wanted to shoot his mouth of that was fine, he was entitled to his own opinion. The thing was, he needed to know the truth. If she had to listen to his tirade, then he could listen to hers. Beckett turned to face the man that was to be her future husband.

"You know, I went to see Alexis tonight because I wanted to make sure she was okay. I figured you over exaggerated the situation, so I wanted to see for myself. I also wanted to apologize for not being there for the housewarming. I ended up apologising for your appalling behaviour. I tried to get her to understand it's because you love her. I defended your actions. You know that Alexis was upset when she found out we were engaged. You didn't include her in an important decision in your life that affects her greatly. She could have spent the rest of her trip angry and seething at the both of us, but do you know why she didn't? Pi!"

Castle gulped and tried to take a step forward, but Beckett held up her hand to stop him.

"Pi made her happy, Rick. He talked to her about what was going on. Pi got her to talk about us. She's happy for us because she knows I make you happy. That we make each other happy, and that's enough for her. When Alexis talks about how Pi has changed her life, it reminded me of you, of us."

"We are nothing like Pi and Alexis," he told her.

Beckett took in a deep breath through her nose and gritted her teeth.

"You're my Pi, Rick."

"I'm what?"

"You're my Pi. You found me when I was lost. You see the world in a different light, and you shared that with me. You were different from any other person I'd met and you know what? It's what I love most about you. I am happy with my life, Castle. I'm actually happy on the inside. I don't have to pretend anymore. My life would have been so different if you hadn't come into it. Yes we have had some ups and downs but that's life."

"Kate, I..."

"No, Castle, you are going to shut your mouth for once and listen. You say your daughter and I aren't alike; well that's where you are wrong. I was your daughter's age when I lost my mother. It was a life changing experience. Yes, becoming a cop was a good thing, but what about my personal life Castle? I didn't have one. I became withdrawn, and didn't let anyone in until you. I went spiralling downwards fast. That's where your daughter and I differ. She went through a traumatic experience Castle, yet look at her. She is healthy and happy. Alexis eats and isn't all skin and bones. She's pale because that is her skin tone, not because she is hiding from the world and not getting any sun. Most people who go through a traumatic experience don't recover like she has. It has taken me over ten years to get where she is at now. You helped with that, just as I expect Pi is helping her with that, too."

"Kate,"

Beckett shook her head.

"No, Rick."

She opened the door and stepped out.

"I may love you, but I don't like you very much right now. I have to go. Goodbye, Castle."

Castle watched as yet another door was slammed in his face. He hung his head down, then turned to look at the abandoned ice cream on the counter. In bright red letters on the side of the tub were the words 'Martha's. Don't eat.' Oh great. Just great. He had a trifecta. Now all three women in his life were out for his blood. He didn't like to admit it, but this time it really was all his fault.


	3. Chapter 3

All you need is Pi

By

Natalie Elizabeth

Pi made his way through the halls to his new apartment. He held a bag of fruit in one hand and a treat for Al in the other. He hoped she was still up by the time he got home, but truthfully he was pretty tired, too. As he took the last turn, he stopped when he saw a man sitting on the floor outside his and Al's door.

"Mr C?"

The man on the floor jolted.

"Pi."

"What are you doing on the floor Mr C? Al is meant to be home."

Castle shrugged. "I wasn't sure if she would open the door so I.. I don't know why I am sitting here, really. I just didn't know where else to go."

Pi sat down on the floor across from him and placed the items on the floor. Castle narrowed his eyes at the items.

"Is that pizza?" he asked.

Pi nodded. "Yep, one of the perks of my job."

Castle frowned. "Counting bees gives you free pizza?"

Pi shook his head and laughed. "No, I'm also working at a pizza shop. It's just temporary. The guy I work for has a cousin who runs a pizza place. His son broke his leg, and he needed a little bit of extra help for a few weeks. I thought it would be good to bring in a little extra money so Al and I have a bit for a rainy day. I want Al to focus on studying and not working too many hours."

Castle raised his brows. He had pegged Pi as a sponge, yet here he was working two jobs. Something didn't add up, though.

"Why would you bring pizza home if you only eat fruit?"

Pi shrugged. "Al likes it."

"I thought you put Alexis on a fruit-only diet."

Pi laughed. "Mr C, you obviously don't know your daughter very well. No one can make her do anything she doesn't want to do. I merely suggested she try it. She's actually been pretty open to it, however I know she loves pizza, so I thought I'd bring home a treat for her."

Castle hung his head down. "She probably needs it after the talk we had earlier."

"She texted that you came by."

Castle nodded.

"Mr C, do you know why I have still hung around despite your attitude towards me?"

Castle looked up at the boy in front of him. "Do you really want me to answer that, Pi?"

Pi smiled. "That's the reason. You love Al, Mr C."

"Of course I love her, she's my daughter."

Pi shook his head. "My parents haven't called me since I have been here."

"You have parents?" Castle asked, shocked.

"I wasn't made in a test tube, Mr C. I have parents, although at times it does seem like they're just people who donated an egg and sperm. I've called and left messages numerous times to let them know where I am and what I am doing. Still nothing. They figure if they have proof that I'm alive every few months, that's good enough."

Castle looked at the boy in front of him. The man. Even though there was a smile underneath the caterpillar on his lip, there was sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Pi."

Pi shrugged. "You get used to it, and Al helps. You should have heard the way she talked about you and your mother. Her face just lit up when she told me stories about the games the two of you would play. The museums, conventions, movie marathons. When she asked me to come back with her, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to see if this life she talked about really existed, and it does."

Castle blinked a few times. He was having trouble understanding what Pi was saying. "You wanted to meet me?"

"Well yeah, Mr C. I wanted to meet the man who raised an incredible daughter, and you sounded like a lot of fun, too. Way more fun than my old man."

Castle scoffed. "Well, Alexis did buy me a father of the year mug."

Pi nodded. "I've seen her matching daughter of the year mug."

Castle's heart clenched. He did buy her a daughter of the year mug. She was the best daughter he could ask for. Which begged the question, why was he sitting on the floor outside his daughter's apartment?

"I heard you were there for Alexis when she found out I was engaged."

Pi nodded. "Yeah, she seemed upset at first. Once she started talking about you and Mrs C to be though, her demeanour changed. I told her a bit about my parents and their relationship. I think you're a lucky man Mr C. Divorced twice, but you still haven't given up on love."

Castle sighed. "Well, there were times I did want to give up, but Alexis got me through."

"I can see how she would."

Castle nodded. His daughter had been there for him. She had been so young when he went through his first divorce. Alexis was dealing with not understanding why her mommy was gone, yet she had still come and hugged him. She told him it would be okay. It wasn't her job, yet she had been the person he could rely on. And he had been the same for her. Now, he felt like he was no longer needed.

"I've made mistakes in my life Pi. I just don't want my daughter to make the same ones."

"That's what makes you a good father Mr C, but sometimes people need to make their own mistakes. If she doesn't make any mistakes, then how can she learn from them? I know you want to protect Al, and I do too. Everyone is different, though. What worked for you might not work for me. You can give advice and hope for the best. If she makes a mistake, then she makes a mistake. Just be there for her to help pick up the pieces."

Castle narrowed his eyes at the curly headed miscreant. For someone who wasn't into the whole spelling thing, he had a way with words. Castle knew he could be a sore winner when it came to board games. When it came to life, he never rubbed someone's misfortune in their face. Alexis and Pi could break up one day, and the thought didn't make him happy. He knew Alexis would be sad, and he would hate that. What he would hate more is if she had to go through the breakup alone. She would only go through it alone if he kept up his pigheadedness.

"Pi." Castle sighed. He was doing this for his daughter and the guy wasn't that... "Pi, I am not saying I like you..."

"Aww. Hug, Mr C?"

Castle held up his hand to stop the advancing bee counter. "I am saying that I don't hate you."

Pi laughed. "I'll settle for that for now."

Castle nodded. "Good, now will you help me get off this floor before I catch hepatitis?"

Pi stood up and offered a hand to the older man.

"Pi, I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you can get me inside that door? I really need to apologize to Alexis. I am sorry for the way I have treated you and her. I also really need her help. Kate is angry with me, and she won't answer my calls. I'm hoping Alexis can work her magic."

Picking up his items from the floor, Pi nodded. "Don't worry Mr C. I got your back."


	4. Chapter 4

All you need is Pi

By

Natalie Elizabeth

Castle nervously watched as Pi opened the door and walked into the apartment. He sure hoped Beckett hadn't been serious about getting his daughter a pink Taser for her birthday. Taking a few steps in, he saw two lumps lying on the couch.

"Kate. Alexis."

The red-headed lump moved swiftly. She stood up, then immediately blocked his view of the brunette on the other end of the couch.

"What are you doing here, Dad? Back for round two?"

Castle tried to take a step forward to look at his fiancé who still hadn't moved, but his daughter moved in his way.

"Alexis?" he questioned.

"She's asleep Dad. Leave her alone, leave us alone."

"Al, your Dad came here to apologize," Pi told her as he walked past.

"Is that pizza?" she asked, spying the box.

"I'll put it in the fridge; you can have some after you talk with your dad."

Alexis tried to protest, but Pi was already walking out of the room. Sighing with frustration, she turned back to her father and levelled him with a glare.

"Well."

Castle sighed. "I've been a fool."

Alexis nodded. "Finally, something we agree on. Although both Kate and I used stronger language than that."

"Is she okay?" he asked, trying to get a look at his fiancée.

Alexis crossed her arms over her chest. "She was quite angry when she got here. Dad, what possessed you to tell Kate I was none of her business, and since when did you raise me the right way? Kate was just trying to help us, Dad. Help us. Not trying to drive a wedge between us. Do you remember what Gina was like?"

Castle hung his head down. "She liked it when we fought."

"Yeah, she did. She told me you didn't understand me, and maybe it would be better if I lived with my mother. Gina hated how close we were, whereas Kate is trying to make sure we keep our bond."

"I know Pumpkin, I know. I just got scared, okay. One minute, I'm your whole world, and then the next suddenly its Pi, Pi, Pi."

Alexis mouth quirked. "Dad, one minute I'm your whole world, and then the next it's all Kate, Kate, Kate."

Castle's head shot up. "I've told you Kate could never replace you in my life."

Alexis nodded. "And Pi will never replace you."

Castle stared at his daughter. Why was she so smart? Why did he have to raise such a smart daughter? She wasn't supposed to use her powers for evil.

"I just worry about you. You're my daughter."

"And I worry about you, you're my father."

"Yeah well, I am older," he challenged.

Alexis shrugged. "It just means you have wrinkles and grey hair. It doesn't mean you're smarter."

Castle gasped. "I do not have grey hair."

Alexis couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face. Her father was such a girl sometimes.

"Dad, I love you, but I have to live my own life. I know I have only known Pi for a short amount of time, but it's quality versus quantity. Pi knows me better than some of the friends I've had since I was five. Six months ago, I would have laughed if I was told I'd be living with a guy I met in Costa Rica. A year ago, I would never have expected to end up in Paris under the circumstances that I did. We can't predict life, Dad, but we can make it the best one we can if people just let us."

Castle mulled over what his daughter said.. When he killed off Storm, he had no idea where his life was going to go. Then he had practically offered to sign Kate's chest, and his life changed forever. Changed in ways he never thought possible. His daughter was right, and he hated being wrong.

"If a psychic told me I'd end up with Kate as my future wife, I would have thought they were a fake."

"Psychics are fake," Beckett told him as she sat up from the couch.

Alexis turned around to look at her future stepmother. "Do you want me to throw him out?"

Kate stood up. "No. Rick, it's late. What do you want?"

"I want my family back," he told the two women.

"That's not up to us, Dad: that's up to you."

Castle nodded. "I know it is. I have already admitted I was a fool. What else can I do to fix this?"

"Not act like Pi is the scum of the universe," Alexis told her father.

"Oh, your father doesn't hate me, Al."

Alexis turned to see Pi entering the room.

"What?" she asked confused.

"He admitted that he doesn't hate me. He doesn't exactly like me, but I'm working on that. Right, Mr C?"

Castle laughed but nodded. "Right. Pi is.." he was trying to find a word that wouldn't get him into trouble. "Unusual, but I think I can work with that."

Beckett laughed. "That's funny, Castle. I thought the same thing about you when I first met you."

Castle scoffed. "Oh please, you so wanted me."

Beckett turned to look at Alexis. "That offer still open to throw him out?"

Alexis nodded, so Castle put his arms up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Pi is someone I should get to know a bit better first before I start passing judgment."

"You really mean it?" Alexis asked.

Castle nodded.

Alexis looked over to Pi, and he was smiling at her so she smiled too. "Okay. If Pi is willing to give you a chance despite the way you have acted, then I guess I can too."

Castle smiled. He had his daughter back, well sort of. She was never going to be his little 5 year old daughter who demanded he hold her hand when 'he' crossed the road. However, she would love him and share memories with him, no matter how old she got.

"Hug?" he asked what he now realised was a young woman in front of him.

Alexis shook her head and crossed her arms again. "Oh no, you are still in my bad books. You were a jerk to Kate for trying to help me."

Castle looked at the other woman in the room. She wasn't levelling him with a glare like his daughter was, which was unusual for Kate. She looked upset, but what was really shining through was sympathy. She understood him. Even when he was being a jerk, she still understood. Alexis and Kate were right to use stronger language than fool. He took a step forward, and this time his daughter allowed him access to his fiancé.

"Kate, I'm sorry I yelled at you. It was stupid of me. Even before we were together, I came to you for advice on how to be the best parent for Alexis. It's just from the day I got custody of her, I was worried someone would try and take her away because I was a bad parent. I trust and respect you, Kate. To hear you tell me I needed to back off caused me to panic. I knew you were right, and I hated being wrong. I hated being the bad parent. I'm supposed to be the cool Dad. The green-eyed monster reared its' ugly head. I was jealous that Alexis liked you more."

Kate smiled and slid Alexis an amused look.

"You'll always be the cool dad, Rick. There are times when you should be strict and you weren't, and there will be times like now when you need to chill."

Castle nodded. " I'm just in the refrigeration mode, not the freezer mode at the moment, but I am trying. It means a lot that you care about my daughter. I'm glad she can talk to you."

Beckett looked at Castle. She knew it was hard for him. He had been a single parent, and didn't exactly have the most ideal role model either.

"Come on, Mrs C to be. I think he means it."

Beckett looked over at Pi and nodded. "Yeah, I think he does too."

A huge grin broke out on Castle's face. "So do you like me again?"

Beckett rolled her eyes. "I guess I have to. All my stuff is at your place." She then entered the arms of her husband to be. His arms surrounded her and she felt the day's stress simply melt away. Beckett looked at Alexis, and raised her brows at the young woman.

"Fine," she huffed but Beckett knew it was just for show.

Alexis walked over to them and joined the hug.

"Aww, family hug." Pi announced as he walked over to the huddle.

Castle looked up suddenly and sent a glare Pi's way. Alexis and Beckett looked at the two men. Castle, feeling the heat on his body from the glares both his daughter and fiancée were sending him, reluctantly lifted an arm up.

"Come on then. Only for a second, and it doesn't mean I like you."

Alexis and Beckett both leaned in and gave Castle a peck on each cheek.

Castle sighed. "Well, I guess I could do with a little Pi in my life."

The four hugged for a few seconds.

"Kate, when we go home can we stop at a store? Mother will kill me I she finds out I ate her ice cream."

The end.

_Authors Note: I hope everyone out there has a "Pi" in their life. Someone who has shown them a world they never knew existed and has made their life better for it._

_In a week I'll be celebrating 7 years of marriage to my 'Pi'. _

_I thought my future was a dark and gloomy one with no escape. He showed me the way out, that there was a way out. When my Pi entered my life it wasn't received well. Family and friends were apprehensive. Yet years later all those who meet us say how perfect we are for each other. How different I am compared to ten years ago. I started believing in myself. I wasn't the ugly freak myself and the people around me, made me out to be. I now smile when I look in the mirror, I am beautiful and I never knew that before. I have confidence to do extraordinary things. I have travelled overseas numerous times now. Seen lava in Hawaii. Took a helicopter ride over Niagara Falls. Snorkelled on a south Pacific island. Hiked to a glacier in Alaska. I even travelled to the US on my own to visit a friend I made through fan fiction. _

_I could never have dreamed that I would do such amazing things if it hadn't been for my Pi. His love and support helps me be the woman I have always wanted to be._

_Thank you to the Pi's of the world. _


End file.
